Matthew 23 and Mandates

Anti-Bully Day is coming. I saw a bullying meme the other day comparing vaccine mandates to seatbelt mandates with the implication being that just as no one is opposed to seatbelt legislation, no one should be opposed to vaccine legislation. My mind immediately recalled the time last century when BC updated its motorcycle legislation.

The courts decided that BC’s helmet legislation discriminated against a particular religious/cultural group; so, they struck it down. The government of the day then decided to implement new helmet legislation for motorcycle riders. This is from the ‘new’ legislation:

MOTORCYCLE SAFETY HELMET

EXEMPTION REGULATION

Exemption

1 The following persons are exempt from the requirements of section 194 (3) of the Motor Vehicle Act:

(a)a person who

(i) practises the Sikh religion, and

(ii)has unshorn hair and habitually wears a turban composed of 5 or more square metres of cloth.

I do remember the debates at the time. I remember being told that the hospitals will be full of people with head injuries. I remember being told that helmets are for everyone’s safety and so no one should be exempt. I remember people saying that Sikhs should have to pay their own hospital costs. I remember that it was pointed out that not all Sikhs even wear turbans. Why then would we make an accommodation to people with deeply held convictions, so deeply held that they are willing to stand up for each other?

The reason we accommodate those deeply held beliefs (even if it goes against our beliefs; even if we passionately disagree) is because we are a compassionate society. There was much fear and hatred spread to and about the Sikh community then – even those who didn’t wear turbans and/or didn’t ride motorcycles. There is much hate and fear spread to and about people who have equally deeply held convictions about forced injections today. It is not okay.

People are bullying those who are unable to be vaccinated; people are bullying those who are unable to be vaccinated in good conscience; people are even removing others' livelihoods and telling them that they don’t deserve to be able to earn a living or even contribute to society. We have people eating at our soup kitchen now because they have lost their job because they have been unable to be vaccinated.

When BC decided to show compassion to the Sikh community almost a quarter of a century ago now, society didn’t collapse. If we show compassion to the unvaccinated today, society won’t collapse. On the contrary, as we move beyond hate and self-righteousness, our society will grow in love and acceptance.

Today, this is my encouragement: let us stop bullying one another and reach out in love instead.

www.facebook.com/salvogesis

Comments

Psalm 147:7-11: Does God Prohibit the Kilt?

7 Sing to the Lord with grateful praise; make music to our God on the harp. 8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. 10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man [or ‘the warrior’]; 11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love. Psalm 147:10 : “His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man.” I thought this was an appropriate passage to look at on Robbie Burns Day. For Christmas one year Susan bought me some Bible Commentaries on Psalms. In one of these books the author, Peter C. Craigie, from Scotland, writes: …. It was the custom in Scotland for boys to ...

Low Saturday (Genesis 3, Revelation 21)

Hello, I am Major Michael Ramsay from TSA. As well as running The Salvation Army, the Bread of Life soup kitchen, shelter and The Salvation Army thrift store, I am a Christian pastor / teacher. This weekend is Easter. That is the most important time on the Christian Calendar. Christians acknowledge Jesus as God. Our teachings tell us that God, as creator, created the whole world. And when He did it was perfect. Not only did we not harm each other, ourselves or the earth; but we never got sick, we never got injured; and the earth itself – the trees did not fall to the ground and die. Animals did not eat animals. All of creation was in perfect harmony. The Creator even walked in this Garden He created with people He created. Then something happened. The first people created made a choice. Because of this choice, death, decay, harm and hurt entered the world. Where there was none before, now there was illness, injury and death for all of creation. Plants, animals and al...

Luke 24:38-34: Revelation of a King

James V, the King of Scotland used to go around the country disguised as a common person. That is because he wanted to meet the everyday people of the country not just the rich and powerful. He wanted to see how the normal people lived. One day he was dressed in very old clothes and was going by a place known as Cramond Brig, when he is attacked by robbers who don’t know who he is. There is a fierce struggle and he is nearly overcome when, at just the right moment, a poor farm worker - Jock Howieson - hears the commotion comes to the disguised king’s aid. Now Jock, the poor labourer, who works on this portion of the King’s land, Cramond Brig, unawares takes the undercover king home and gives him a dinner of broth and Jock - as the king is recouping – naturally asks the man who he is. The King responds ‘I’m a good man of Edinburgh.’ ‘And where do you live in that city and where do you work?’ ‘Well,’ says James, ‘I live at the palace and I work there too.’ ‘The palace, is it?...

Salvogesis

Search This Blog